Norwegian Majesty Cruise Line Review And Discount Cruises

Overview
After her recent stretching the Norwegian Majesty reenters service as a nearly new ship. Those who may have cruised her in the past will be pleasantly surprised by the numerous changes that have been made. The addition of the new 112' midsection brought many improvements. Added were two new restaurants, 203 passenger cabins, 33 crew cabins, another swimming pool, two whirlpool spas, a new deck bar, a coffee bar, a new casino, two elevators and a stair tower.

Additional improvements include new teak decking on Sun deck. Sky deck was expanded by a new extension that increases sunning space substantially. A new plastic deck covering on Sky deck drains quickly and eliminates the problem of outdoor carpeting that never seems to dry. The deck extension provides additional shaded areas below it on Sun deck. Additional glass was added along the sides of Sun deck providing better weather protection. Carpeting in the public spaces and in all cabins was replaced. Behind the scenes improvements include a new laundry, expanded refrigerated cold food storage and freezer capacity. Additional fresh water making equipment was added eliminating the need to rely on additional shore-side supplies.

Public Rooms
Interiors have a contemporary ambiance that is informally elegant through the use of quality fabrics in pastels and muted shades, fine woods, artwork and marble. Lots of glass walls afford views of the sea and ports. There is no multi-level atrium -the attractive lobby/reception area on Atlantic Deck has a Nordic feel with white marble and art deco accents. The ship underwent a "chop and stretch" in 1999 that added cabins and new and enlarged public rooms. As a result of the stretching, the Four Seasons Restaurant was expanded to encompass the entire width of the ship. The ship absorbs the post-stretch increased guest numbers well, but had a less spacious feel than before the stretching. The Palace Theater features a proscenium stage for revues including the Sea Legs Circus at Sea. Sightlines are good from most seats. Polo Club, a horseshoe-shaped piano bar with a dance floor is one of the most popular lounges on board for a drink after the show. The Royal Observatory Lounge with its floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides is a great perch for watching Bermuda sunsets; for people watching, the Rendezvous Lounge is best. The 24-hour Internet Cafe is equipped with four computer terminals (cost is 75 cents per minute). There is no self-service launderette; laundry and dry cleaning are available for a fee.

Fitness and Recreation
The Norwegian Majesty has a mediocre fitness center divided into two small square rooms - one room contains aerobics exercise machines and the other has an assortment of weight machines and stationery weights. Both the size of the fitness center and the number of exercise machines are far less compared to fitness centers on similar-sized ships. There are only four treadmills, four Stairmasters and five stationery bikes. As a result, the room is often filled to capacity and passengers who want to work out have to wait in line to use the machines. Other onboard recreational facilities include a golf driving net plus shuffleboard courts and ping pong tables. There are also two Jacuzzis plus sauna and massage and a daily schedule of aerobics classes. Located midship on deck 10 is the main swimming pool with a terraced deck, while located aft on deck 9 is a Children's Splash pool for those with small children.

Gratuity
$3.50 per day for the room steward, $3.50 per day for the waiter, $2.00 per day for the bus boy and $1.50 per day for maitre'd. That's a total of $10.50 per person, per day.

Dining
The food is fine, service is good, but the views are the best: the lobster tail and the strip steak come with a side of sea and sky in the three main restaurants all of which boast panoramic vistas. Tables for two, four, six and eight are featured. Dining rooms are assigned by cabin location (but guests can request a restaurant and table size if available). The Four Seasons (260 diners) is arguably the nicest restaurant (most intimate) followed by Seven Seas (636 seats). Both have terraced seating and floor-to-ceiling windows. The Four Seasons has great tables next to glass walls on each side. Dining rooms offer open seating breakfast; lunch is open seating in port so guests can try all three main restaurants. As part of an alliance with Cooking Light, menus feature more than 160 of the magazine's delicious recipes. Le Bistro, a reservations-only, 78-seat alternative restaurant, serves Italian fare at $5 per person additional charge. The official Lido restaurant, Cafe Royale offers buffet breakfast, lunch, teatime snacks, but it is a very modest space for this number of passengers --with only 112 seats inside it was hard to find an open table during prime time meal hours. There is a poolside snack bar/pizzeria, ice cream bar and a small coffee lounge. The lavish Chocoholic buffet -a sumptuous spread of everyone's favorite treat-is the most popular of the midnight snacks. Room service is available 24 hours -a mid-afternoon order took only 13 minutes to arrive.

Cabins
There are 10 categories with staterooms attractively furnished in soft tones and featuring two lower beds that convert to queen, small bathroom with shower, hairdryer, cabin-controlled thermostat, duvet, TV, and radio. Inside cabins measure 140 sq. ft.; standard outside cabins are 152 sq. ft; superior deluxe suites are 176 sq. ft. Owner's Suites afford such added conveniences as living room, separate bedroom, picture windows, refrigerator, stereo with CD library and tub and shower. There are no balconies on this ship. Important notes: all cabins on the port side of the ship are non-smoking. Staterooms on Promenade Deck open to the jogging track. Some cabins have fully obstructed views and some with partially obstructed views so choose carfeully.

Fellow Passengers
You'll find a good mix of passengers: some honeymooners, couples, some singles, and families with children, particularly during school holidays. Many passengers are first-time cruisers. The average age is 45 in Bermuda and slightly older in the Caribbean.

Entertainment
NCL excels in nighttime entertainment; this ship is no exception, with Smokey Joe's Cafe, a production featuring such 50s and 60s hits as "Hound Dog" and "On Broadway." A good number of passengers stay up for options that include dancing the night away at Frame 52 Disco; and gaming in the Winners' Circle Casino with six blackjack tables, one roulette, one dice, one Caribbean Stud Poker, one Let it Ride table and 158 slots.

Family
NCL's "Kid's Crew" program is divided into three age groups. Junior Sailors (2 - 5), First Mates and Navigators (6 - 12), and Teens (13 - 17). Operating on Sea days: 9 a.m. - noon, 2 - 4:30 p.m., 7:30 - 10 p.m. In port: 3 - 5 p.m., 7:30 - 10 p.m. in the "Kids Korner" playroom. Only group sitting is available; evenings from 10 p.m. - 1 a.m.; in port from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $5 per child per hour; the second kid is $3.